Mercian Order of St.George
Jesus - Feast of Ach
One day, in a town called Behar, on the banks of the Brahms, a feast was thrown in Jesus’ honour by a man called Ach, one of the wealthiest men in town. Many people came to the feast, including thieves and prostitutes, and many of the Nazarene’s followers were astounded when he sat with these, rather than with them. Jesus was warned that it was a bad day for him and when the news had spread that he had sat with thieves and prostitutes, men would shun him just as they would shun a snake. Jesus replied:-
“A master never screens himself for the sake of reputation or fame. These are but worthless baubles that rise and sink like empty bottles on a stream, that point towards what the thoughtless think and the noise that people make that shallow men judge merit by. God judges men by what they are, not by what they seem to be; not by their reputation or fame.
“These thieves and prostitutes are Children of God. Their souls are just as precious as yours and they are working out the same life’s sum as you, who pride yourselves on your respectability and moral worth, are working out. Some of them have solved much harder sums than you have solved, you who look upon them with scorn. Yes they are sinners, and they confess their guilt, while you who are guilty, are shrewd enough to have a polished coat to cover up your guilt.
“Suppose you men who scorn these prostitutes, drunkards and thieves, who know that you are pure in heart and life, and that you are far better than they, come forward so that men will know just who you are. The sin lies in the wish and the desire, not in the act. You covet other people’s wealth, you look at naked forms, and deep within your heart you lust for them. You deceive every day, wishing for gold, honour and fame, just for your selfish selves. The man who covets is a thief and the woman who lusts is a prostitute. If there is anybody here who is none of these things, then speak out”. Nobody spoke. Jesus continued:-
“The proof this day is against those who have accused. The pure in heart do not accuse. It is the vile in heart who want to cover up their own guilt with piety, ever loathing the drunkard, the thief and the prostitute. This loathing and this scorn is a mockery, because if the tinselled coat of respectability could be torn away, the accuser would be found to revel in his lust, deceit and many forms of secret sin. The man who spends his time pulling other people’s weed can have no time to pull his own and all the choicest flowers of life will soon be choked and die, leaving nothing but darnel, thistle and burr”.
Then Jesus spoke a parable. “A farmer had great fields of ripened grain, and when he looked down he saw that many of the blades of wheat were bent and broken down. He sent his reapers into the fields and told them not to save the stalks of wheat that were broken, but to burn them.
“After many days the farmer went to measure the grain but found that there was not a single kernel. He asked the harvesters where the grain was and they told him that they had done exactly what he had instructed, and had gathered up all the stalks with broken blades and burned them, and not a stalk was left to carry to the barn”.
Jesus said, “If God only saves those who have no broken blades, and who have been perfect in His Sight, who will be saved? The accusers hung their heads in shame.
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